INTERPOL, Global Police Organization, Enters The Metaverse
At INTERPOL’s General Assembly, which took place in New Delhi, the international police organization released its first metaverse initiative. The initiative is aimed at ensuring law enforcement globally.
Users Can Tour The INTERPOL Metaverse
Registered users are free to tour INTERPOL’s metaverse platform. It is a digital form of its Secretariat headquarters located in Lyon, France. There will be no physical or geographical boundaries during the tour.
Also, through their avatars, users can interact and engage with officers, taking immersive courses in forensic and other policing functions. The INTERPOL Metaverse is made possible through INTERPOL Secure Cloud, which makes it neutral.
At the General Assembly, delegates who attended entered the Lyon building digitally as avatars using VR headsets. Jürgen Stock, INTERPOL Secretary General, said many do not see any potential in the metaverse did to fears of what it might present.
However, Stock said such issues had motivated the agency to support member nations fighting and combating crime. The aim is to ensure the digital and real world remains safe for people to reside in.
Meanwhile, the Sec General said the organization is committed to helping maintain the peace despite the new digital world.
In a subsequent discussion panel, INTERPOL also revealed the formation of an Expert Group on the Virtual world to address law enforcement interests worldwide, ensuring that this new digital environment is safe.
Besides being used for gaming, the metaverse is frequently regarded as the likely next step in the evolution of the internet. As per Gartner, a tech research company, one in four individuals will spend at least an hour every day in the digital world working, learning, shopping, and socializing by 2026.
Fighting Crime In The Metaverse
In addition, the INTERPOL Global Crime Trend says that crime has moved to the online space over the years. This is due to the speed of digitalization rocking every corner of the world.
Further, the panel discussion asked how the agency can protect users and maintain law and order in the digital world. Moreover, the metaverse is gradually becoming popular as more entities enter the space.
Also, fraudsters are already taking advantage of the Metaverse. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has collaborated with INTERPOL, Microsoft, Meta, and others to establish and regulate the virtual world. The WEF warned that violent extremism, social engineering schemes, and disinformation might pose special obstacles.
As the Metaverse community grows and technology develops more, the list of crimes that could overflow the sector is alarming. They include data theft, ransomware, phishing, financial fraud, sexual assault, counterfeiting, and crimes against children.
For law agencies, such a threat could pose a great challenge. This is because there is currently no rule book governing the action of users in the metaverse.
Besides, some activities in the physical world may not count as criminal offenses in the virtual space.
